Support for customers from Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel 005-25011522

Engage with an on-demand interpreter if required.

Searching for a customer using Process Direct

Select the Customer Summary tile. This shows the Search Customers screen.

Has the customer provided their Customer Reference Number (CRN)?

• Yes, enter the CRN in the CRN field and select Go
• No:
• Enter the mandatory fields of Last Name and Date of Birth
• If the customer is present, ask for their full legal name and have them spell it
• Use a range of questioning techniques to get customer details, such as legal name and any other names the customer has used
• Complete fields such as Mobile Number, Email or External Number (that is, jobseeker reference number) to further refine the search
• Select Go

This screen shows:

• Customer details
• CRN
• Match score - giving the probability of a matching record
• Any child records on this screen show as ZCHI in the Kind column

Note: the search results in Process Direct will show the name and details entered in the search fields.

If too many records are returned, refine the search criteria by including the customer's first name.

Check contact details are up to date.

Record the customer's preferred spoken language on the Other Contact Details (OCD) screen.

If no record exists, see Adding a customer to the system.

Go to Step 2.

Legal residence

In Customer First or Customer Record, request the Immigration Datalink on the Immigration Enquiry (RSIMME) screen. Make sure the most recent immigration information is on the customer's record.

The customer's visa/s should populate on the Legal Residence Details (RSLEG) screen.

Residing in Australia

The customer must also reside in Australia to be eligible for payment. This is not advised by the datalink. The Service Officer needs to make a discretionary decision as to where a customer resides by weighing up relevant factors. See Assessing if a customer is an Australian resident.

Make sure the country where the customer currently resides is coded on the Country of Residence (CRES) screen.

Note: Palestine cannot be coded on the RSIMME and CRES screens.

If a customer is from Occupied Palestinian Territories, record the most appropriate country available (for example, Israel or Jordan) to:

• enable a link with immigration
• allow the system to correctly read and assess periods of residence

Be aware of cultural sensitivities if discussing this with the customer. The Service Officer can:

• accept the information the customer provides but record a different country, or
• use documentation already provided, such as a passport, to determine which country to code
• refer to Coding the CRES, ARD and RSS screens for coding instructions if the customer strongly disagrees with having the 'recognised country name' on the CRES screen

For more information about cultural sensitivities, see Multicultural Guide.

Go to Step 3.

An Australian visa can be linked to a foreign passport. Where the Australian visa is linked, customers can have their:

• Australian visa verified as a Commencement of Identity (CoI) document, using their foreign passport details, and
• Foreign passport verified as a Primary Use in community (PUIC) document and to complete a facial comparison in person (linkage)

If the Australian visa is not verified or linked, Service Officers cannot use the foreign passport to complete PUiC or linkage. It can only be used as a Secondary Use in Community (SUiC) document.

If customers cannot confirm their identity, Service Officers must code any available identity documents and complete the alternative identity assessment in person or by phone.

Go to Step 4.

Note: once the claim and supporting documents have been submitted, it will be allocated to the SpB processing team for action.

Has customer already lodged a Claim for Special Benefit?

• Yes, see Progress of claim and:
• if the customer is under 22 years of age and unaccompanied or it is unreasonable for them to live at home (such as due to extreme family breakdown or serious risk), go to Step 5
• for all other customers, tell them they will be notified of the outcome. Make sure the customer's contact details are up to date
• No, and if the customer contacts with a recently granted 449 or 786 visa and needs help to claim for a payment. Service Officers must run an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC)for Special benefit. See Eligibility and new claim procedures for Special Benefit (SpB)

Under 18 years of age

• Customers are referred to Social Work services (SWS) for a wellbeing check and identification of support needs
• A Social worker will decide if:
• the customer's parents are overseas, or
• it is unreasonable for the customer to live at home due to extreme family breakdown or serious risk, and
• no suitable guardian is eligible to claim Family Tax Benefit (FTB) on behalf of the young person
• Customers can study full-time
• For how to refer the customer to a social worker, see Social work service referral

Aged 18-21 years of age

• A UTLAH assessment is:
• not required, if the customer's parents are overseas
• required, if it is unreasonable for the customer to live at home (for example, due to extreme family breakdown or serious risk). See Unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) initial contact for Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)
• Customers 18-21 can study for less than 12 months if approved as part of their Job Plan

For more details about the definition of an FTB child, see Family Tax Benefit (FTB) child of a person.

Go to Step 6.

If the customer is experiencing vulnerability, has complex needs, or is in financial hardship for they may be eligible to have their claim sent for priority processing

To request urgent processing create an open Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > Claim or Update Escalation > Special Benefit.

See Immediate new claim and non-new claim priority processing.

If a customer experiencing vulnerability does not have adequate existing supports, consider referral to external support services, specialist officers and/or other internal supports.

Procedure ends here.

SpB start day is:

• the day the customer submits a completed claim, or
• 14 days from pre-claim vulnerable circumstances

For more details about start date and backdating rules, see:

• Start Day
• Intent to claim and vulnerable customers

In some case a verbal request for information is a quicker and more effective option.

Make one genuine attempt to contact by phone.

If contact is successful, tell the customer:

• what additional documentation or information is required
• to upload evidence through the upload a document service in the online claim on the day of the call, if required
• the claim will be placed on hold for one day to wait for the customer to give the extra documentation. If the customer cannot give these details in one day, a Request for information will be sent
• the claim may be rejected if the customer does not give the requested information

Did the customer provide the additional information or documentation?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No:
• Place the claim on hold for one day
• If the customer cannot provide the evidence in one day, issue a Request for information
  - go to > select Request documents
  - place the claim on hold for the appropriate time frame
• Annotate the Progress of Claim DOC with the contact outcome
• Procedure ends here

If contact is unsuccessful:

• Issue a Request for information:
• go to > select Request documents
• place the claim on hold for the appropriate time frame
• Annotate the Progress of Claim DOC with details of the request
• Procedure ends here

On the Transaction Summary (TS) screen, check the customer's Identity Status.

Note: claims lodged online would already have confirmed identity to be able to lodge an online claim.

If the Identity Status is:

• Confirmed, go to Step 4
• Not confirmed:
• Select the Not Confirmed link to open a Customer Summary window
• Select Identity Confirmation > Identity Confirmation Dashboard from the Task Selector
• Code the identity documents or consider alternative identity
• Close the Customer Summary window to return to the claim

For more details about Identity confirmation and Identity Reviews, see:

• Identity Confirmation
• Alternative Identity

Customers and partners aged over 16 are required to supply a valid Tax File Number. A TFN exemption may apply in limited circumstances.

Has the customer provided a valid TFN?

• Yes:
• On the Tax File Number Authority (TFN) screen, make sure the TFN Authorisation Details are coded with Y in the Authorisation field
• If the customer has a partner, repeat the above step on the partner's TFN screen
• Go to Step 13
• No, see Requesting a Tax File Number (TFN)

Special Benefit customers under the age of 16 years

• the customer meets all eligibility criteria for Special Benefit, except TFN, record a TFN exemption code 'U16'

For more details about in coding Tax File Number, refer to Requesting a Tax File Number (TFN).

If the customer received free board and lodging on a temporary basis only, they will receive the maximum basic rate of Special Benefit (SpB).

Free board and lodging is regarded as temporary if it is provided for no more than 6 weeks. For example, when someone provides temporary free accommodation while the customer awaits payment of SpB.

Service Officers must be satisfied the customer is receiving temporary free board and lodging:

• code the Accommodation (AC) screen:
• Type of Rent: field with NRP (No Rent Paid)
• for customers living with parents, code the AC screen:
• Type of Rent: field leave Blank
• Sharer Status: field LWP Living with Parents

For more details see Rates of payment for Special Benefit (SpB).

Section 24 can be granted without a full, formal assessment to Special Benefit claimants that meet the following conditions. They:

• Are from Occupied Palestinian Territories or Israel, and
• hold a qualifying temporary visa (subclass 449 or 786), and
• have arrived in Australia without their partner

Partner information and linking

Service Officers should get as much partner information as possible, noting customers may not be able to provide much information about their partner.

For this customer base the following is not required:

• Partner Details (MOD P) and Partner Confirmation processes (DMODP) for new claims
• Creation of a partner record when there is not enough partner information available
• Partner links (Marital Status (MS) or Link Summary (LS) screens) for coding

Note: if enough information is available, Service Officers must create a partner record and link it before applying the Section 24 decision.

Recipients must be reminded of their obligation to notify of a change of circumstances within 14 days, including if their partner joins them in Australia.

Section 24 reviews

Customers granted under these special Section 24 provisions do not need to have a Section 24 review created. The mandatory Special Benefit review will cover the Section 24 review process.

Section 24 decision DOCs

Record a DOA DOC.

Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Assessments and Reviews > Section 24 > OPT Israel Favourable S24.

Under 18 years of age

If independence has been granted, on the independence/Homeless/Away from Home details (NIH) screen, complete the:

• ACT field, key the independent status 'IND'
• Start Date field, key the start date for independence
• Start/Reject Reason field, for:
• Customers whose parents are overseas, key 'PPG'
• UTLAH, refer to the social worker's recommendation DOC for the relevant code to key

Customers under 18 years can study full-time study details are coded on the Education Course Details (EDCH) screen.

Aged 18-21 years of age

A UTLAH assessment is not required if the customer's parents are overseas:

• Grant independence if:
• the customer's parents are overseas, and
• no suitable guardian is eligible to claim Family Tax Benefit
• On the independence/Homeless/Away from Home details (NIH) screen, complete the:
• ACT field, key the independent status 'IND'
• Start Date field, key the commencement date for independence
• Start/Reject Reason field, key 'PPG'
• Customers 18-21 can study for less than 12 months if approved as part of their Job Plan
• The EDCH screen is not coded

Note: for customer's aged 18-21 years, a UTLAH assessment is only required if:

• the customer's parents are not overseas, and
• the young person advises they cannot live with their parents for reasons such as:
• significant conflict
• abuse
• neglect, or
• family and domestic violence in the home

See Unreasonable to live at home (UTLAH) initial contact for Youth Allowance (YA), Disability Support Pension (DSP), Special Benefit (SpB) or Tertiary Access Payment (TAP).

Centrelink International Services (CIS) is responsible for coding foreign pension for new claims. To refer to CIS:

• If using Customer First, run the International Referral guided procedure, select:
• Foreign pension for Referral Reason
• Coding within an Australian New Claim for Referral Action
• Select relevant country
• Document notes in Additional Information - for example, customer has fled from Occupied Palestinian Territories or Israel and unable to provide a foreign pension certificate. Provided bank statement showing (amount) paid into their account
• Finalise guide procedure
• If using Process Direct, select the Referral option under , select:
• 'International Services' in the Transaction details
• 'Foreign Pension Coding' in the Referral details table adding notes, for example, customer has fled from Occupied Palestinian Territories or Israel and unable to provide a foreign pension certificate. Provided bank statement showing (amount) paid into their account
• Select Finish

For more details about Foreign Pension Coding, see Foreign pension coding.

Due to the current situation, it is unlikely these customers will have significant overseas income or assets that were realisable.

Completed modules, if required, should be accepted without supporting documentation where the customer is unable to provide the required information. Service Officers must code this information and document the record.

For more details about overseas income and assets see Foreign income and assets.

If the holder of the 449 or 786 visa has an AOE/ACC status preventing the SpB claim from being processed.

For non-AoS skilled Service Officers escalate to Local Peer Support (LPS). Otherwise, skilled AoS Service Officers must:

• close the AoS case
• once the AoS case is closed, the status will update to AOE/CAN
• create a closed Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Generic > Claims > OPT-Israel 449/786 visa holder with AoS

Assurance of Support (AoS) and Special Benefit (SpB)

ZIAM_SPL_GEN Manual Follow Up activity PEN/MFU is generated when the SPL/CUS customer receives a new visa subclass or Australian citizenship status (keyword I011RS). Service Officers must investigate to ensure ongoing qualification to SpB.

If customers are granted a visa requiring an AoS, Service Officers must:

• make sure the appropriate keyword PINAOS is added to the customer record using the closed Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Generic > Claims > OPT-Israeli 449/786 visa holder with AoS

If the customer has been granted an AoS visa, and the AoS has come into effect, Special Benefit will become a debt to the assurer.

For non-AoS skilled Services Officers, escalate to LPS. Otherwise, Service Officers must:

• cancel the Special Benefit
• contact the customer and assurer as appropriate
• ensure AOE/CUR status is displayed
• recode the AoS case using the information from the previous cancelled AoS case if AOE/CAN status
• inhibit AoS letters
• activate the AoS to show AOE/CUR status

If SpB is to continue during the AoS period a SpB new claim is required.

See Assuree makes a claim for an Assurance of Support (AoS) recoverable payment.

If SpB is to be granted and customer is paid under JobSeeker payment (JSP) condition, make 2 genuine attempts over 2 days, to advise the SpB mutual obligation, any temporary exemption and reporting requirements.

Do not finalise the claim until after the 2 attempts are completed. Hold the claim for one day with reason 'Pending Customer Contact' if first attempt is unsuccessful and document date and time of contact.

If the customer is subscribed to Electronic Messaging (EM) service, issue a pre-call notification (SMS only) between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm, using the customer's local time. The SMS will let them know a Service Officer will call them today from a private number.

Successful contact

• Register the customer as Fully Eligible Participant (FEP) job seeker
• Complete the Job Seeker Snapshot
• Where a job seeker's circumstances mean they can be Centrelink managed, negotiate a Job Plan
• Tell them about reporting and notification requirement, including to:
• use their Centrelink online account or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app to report
• report for the specific dates within the reporting period
• report the gross amount of earnings, and
• complete any immediate or outstanding reports they must action
• If they have overdue payments, (for example, more than 2 fortnights) they cannot report via Self Service, see Recording and correcting employment income details for more information
• If there are 2 or more outstanding payments owing to the customer, discuss release of payments to avoid claim being rejected Failed to Report (FRP) overnight
• If it is confirmed the customer had no employment income for the fortnight pending, run the Earnings and Reporting workflow to stimulate the payment
• Tell the customer:
• their rate of payment, payment date and any waiting periods
• about self service options such as enrolling their voiceprint for phone self service, the transactions available in their online account or Express Plus mobile app and how to access tutorials on the agency website, see Accessing and using Centrelink self service
• SpB 13 weeks reviews and supporting documents. See Special Benefit (SpB) reviews
• SpB available funds
• to notify of any change in circumstances within 14 days to avoid a debt, including income, small change to asset values, relationship, study, caring responsibility, employment, noting any change in circumstances may impact their payment and rate

Unsuccessful contact

Hold the claim for one day with reason 'Pending Customer Contact' if first attempt is unsuccessful and document date and time of contact.

Document the 2 attempts to contact.

Note: if unable to confirm employment income for arrears payment, system automatically rejects Failed to Report (FRP) overnight. The claim will need to be reindexed.

See:

• Mutual obligation requirements for Special Benefit (SpB)
• Conducting a Job Seeker Snapshot interview

Temporary exemptions from mutual obligation requirements

Depending on the visa subclass and customer circumstances, mutual obligation exemptions must be considered where appropriate.

All customers

A Nominated Visa Holder granted a 449 or 786 visa will have a temporary exemption:

• from the SpB mutual obligation requirements
• for 13 weeks from the visa grant date

This exemption only applies once, not each time a new visa type is granted.

Check the job seeker status is Active (JSR/ACT on the benefit status line).

To view job seeker registration:

• in Process Direct > Customer Summary > > Participation Summary> Job seeker registration and provider referral information
• Job seeker registration information box should show:
• Job seeker ID
• Registration start date
• Status Active
• Registration type

To code the exemption on the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen, use code 'ASR' in the Activity Type: field.

Temporary incapacity exemptions

A customer may be granted a temporary incapacity exemption from mutual obligations. Medical certificates lodged as part of a new claim are recorded on the Medical Conditions (MC) screen in Process Direct and are assessed as part of the new claim.

See Assessing and coding medical evidence for temporary incapacity exemptions.

Service Officers must record a DOC on the customer's record, which provides the rationale behind any decision to grant or not grant a temporary incapacity exemption.

Other exemptions

If a temporary exemption is applied, code the temporary exemption on the AEX screen using the appropriate exemption reason code.

For more information about mutual obligations, see Mutual obligation requirements for Special Benefit (SpB).

Customers from Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel on 449 or 786 visa eligible for exemptions may be eligible for variable lodgement. See Reporting requirements for customers receiving a payment with mutual obligation requirements.

If the customer has been suspended due to 'No Job Plan':

• and the record has since been updated with the new negotiated details, the payment can be restored, or
• the customer's SpB review has been completed after the suspension, payment can be restored if the customer has kept entitlement to the payment

See Restoration of Jobseeker payment (JSP), Youth Allowance (job seeker) and Special Benefit (SpB).